Window-shade roller



Nov. 17, 1925. 1,562,105

c. E. MCDONALD T WINDOW SHADE ROLLER Filed May 31, 1924 QZJIcwnaZdPatented Nev. 17, 1925.

CHARLES E. MCDONALD, OF BUTTE, MONTANA.

- WINDOW-SHADE ROLLER.

Application filed May 31, 1924. Serial No. 717,030.

To aZZ whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. McDon- ALD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Butte in the county of Silver Bow and State ofMontana, have invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements ina'lVindow- Shade Roller, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a-window shade roller, and particularly tomeans for attaching thereto one end of a window shade to secure a Himbut detachable connection therewith, and also for providing cooperatingmeans for mounting the winding spring for such a roller. 1

In this class of devices in order to secure a firm attachment of theshade to the roller it has been necessary to use driven fastening meanswhich involveconsiderable labor and care in properly aligning andsecuring the shade to effect its straight winding upon the roller andfor securing the shade against disconnection when completely unwound atwhich time the strain extends radially to the axis of the roller. Thisis particularly important in connection with'metal shade roll ers towhich the attachment must be made by means of a retaining strip or plateand in such manner that the tension on the shade will not displace theretaining means.

In prior constructions it has also been found diflicult to secure aproper mounting for the winding spindle and its cooperating spring,particularly for the support of one end of such spring upon a fixedpart.

The present invention therefore seeks to provide an improvedconstruction of shade roller provided with a longitudinal groove havingseats at its opposite sides and a retaining member disposed in saidgroove to engage said seats and also resiliently bear upon the innerwall of the groove so that the tension of the shade when completelyunwound tends to increase the grip of the retaining member thereon andeflectually prevent disconnection.

A. further object of the invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of resilient retaining plate adapted to be disposed in agroove of the shade roller and provided intermediate its edges with abearing surface to engage the inner wall of the said groove.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a novel construction ofsupporting means for the winding spindle adapted for cooperation w th ashade roller "provided with a longitudinal groove the inner wall ofWhich is substantially fiat,'and comprises a bearing plate held againstrotation byengage'ment with such wall and adapted to receive one end ofthe tension spring, the opposite end of which is connected to thespindle.

Other objects and advantagesof the in vention will be hereinafter setforth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the shade roller the parts inelevation and broken away;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of v Figure 1; 1

Figure 3 is a similar view on the line 83 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross section showing the position of the shadewhen completely unwound; 1

Figure 6 is a detail perspective of the res taining plate; and

'75 like view on the line 44 of Figure 7 is .amodified form of theinvention adapted for a wooden roller.

Like reference numerals refer to throughout the several ing.

figures of the draw: In the preferred form of the invention the rollerisformed tubular and of substan,-.

tially circular form. It comprises the body like arts 10 which is formedwith a telescoping section 11 providing for the adjustment in length ofthe roller to fit the windows, of different widths. These sections .ofthe body are each provided upon their circumference with a groovedportion-12 which is formed at one side with a holding seat 13 for aretaining plate 14 and at the opposite side I with an elongated lip ortongue 15, which provides a recess into which the shade. or

curtain 16 is introduced. The inner wall 17 of the groove 12 ;extendssubstantially chordal to the cireumference'of the roller and providesabearing surface cooperating with the retaining plate 14: as hereinafterdescribed. o I

' This plate is formed at'one edge with a flange 18 adapted to seatagainst the shoulder or seat 13 and the opposite edgefof the platecomprises a gripping edge 19- to en'- gage the shade which may beserrated-if de sired to secure additional engagement there. I

with. Intermediate the edges 18 and 19 the plate is formed with a curvedbearing surface 20 which as shown in'Figure5 con tacts against the innerwall 17 of the groove while the oppositely curved face 21 of the plateforms a substantially continuous curved surface for the roller. As shownin Figure 6 this plate may be formed upon a compound curve and mayeither extend for the longitudinal length of the roller or be formed inseparate sections applied for the attachment of ashade.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Figure 7 where the holdingfunction is substantially the same and in this modification the roller22 is formed of wood and provided with a groove uponits periphery havingopposite dove-tailed faces 23 and 24adapted to receive and retain astrip 25 of resilient wood or similar material introduced longitudinallyof the roller. This strip 25 is provided intermediate its side edgeswith a groove 26 adapted to seat upon a rib 27 carried by the inner faceof the groove within the roller. The groove and rib cooperate to place alateral tension upon the strip 25 causing the opposite ends thereof totightly grip, the dove-tailed seats and also forming a point of contactbetween the strip and the inner wall of the groove by which asupplemental holding of the shade 28 is secured as shown in Figure '7.In this illustration the shade is gripped at the seat 23 and alsobetween the rib and groove at the inner wall of the recess. As a result,the tension upon the shade when completely unwound causes additionaltension to be applied at all the holding points as indicated by dottedlines in Figure '7 as thestrain upon the strip 25 causes the same tomore tightly engage the seat 23 and also the rib 27 of the roller.

The construction of roller above described is also adapted to cooperatewith a novel form of mounting for the spring winding tension and thisstructure comprises a bearing plate 30 having a circularflange 31engaging the inner periphery of the body 10 and having one segment ofits outer edge removed, as indicated at 82 in Figures 3 and 4-; so as toseat upon; the inner wall 1'? of the groove 12extending longitudinallythe roller. This retains the plate against any rotative movement andforms a firm support for the attachment of the winding spring 33 asshown in Figure 1. This spring may be attached to the plate in anypreferred manner, for instance by means of a lug 34: bent outwardlytherefrom, and the plate is further formed with a central bearing 35 toreceive the inner end of the winding spindle or shaft 36 which is heldagainst displacement byja suitable collar 37- secured thereon.

The opposite end of the spindle 36 is prothe opposite pivot 42 of theroller is rota- V tably. mounted in the cap plate 43 by means of abearing portion 4A and the flange/l5 of this cap extends within thetelescoping section 11 of the roller. This cap is frictionally held inposition by projections and seats 46. similar to those shown at 40 uponthe opposite end of the roller.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 to .6 it will be seen that theconstruction of the attaching groove and the retaining plate providesfor a plurality of gripping surfaces to engage the shade or curtainattached to the roller while the outer portion; of this -.plate forms asubstantially continuous circular face for said roller to secure an evenwinding ofthe shade thereon.

Referring to Figure 5 it will be seen that the shade is normally grippedand retained by contact of the plate with the end of the lip at one sideof the groove while the inner end of the plate also retains the shade incontact with the inner face of this lip while the portion of the shadenear its free end is further held by contact of the plate with the innerwall of the groove. This elfectually prevents any danger ofdisconnection if strain is placed upon the shade when completely unwoundas such strain when. applied is transmitted to the retaining platecausing it to engage more firmly the free edge of the lip and also theinner face there of as well as the inner wall of the groove. The platebeing of resilient character in creases its gripping tension at theseveral points under such strain.

This form of retaining plate is adapted to be inserted laterally intothe groove with the shade folded thereover and retained by engagementwith the holding shoulder thereof so that the strain upon the plateincreases the contact with this shoulder and prevents the plate frombeing sprung or accidentally withdrawn from the groove of the roller. 2The inner face of this groove also cooperates with the pivoting plateforthe winding spindle to prevent rotationthereof so that the invention notonly presents an improved form of attaching means but also of a mountingfor the winding spring and its spindle. i

The construction of the telescoping roller permits longitudinaladjustment thereof to.

properly fit different widths of windows or previously attachedbrackets, while the frictionally retained caps permit ready access tothe interior of the roller when it is necessary to withdraw or repairthe spring as these several parts can be withdrawn as a unit since thebearing plate is carried by the inner end of the spring spindle. It willbe obvious that such a construction is also applicable to other forms ofroller than that specifically before described.

While the specific construction of theattaching means and springmounting have been shown and described, the invention is not confinedthereto as changes and alterations may be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A shade roller provided with a l0ngitudinal groove having a seat atone side and a projection at its opposite side, and a resilientretaining member disposed in said groove to abut said seat and having afree portion transversely movable to engage the inner walls of thegroove and the PIOJeCtlOD at opposite polnts.

2. A shade roller provided with a 1011- gitudinal groove having a seatat one side and a lip at the opposite side, and a resilient retainingplate engaging said seat and having a free edge within said lip and abearing surface intermediate its edges to engage the inner wall of thegroove upon tension applied to said free edge.

3. A shade roller provided with a longitudinal groove having a holdingseat at one side and an opposite elongated lip, and a metal retainingplate formed at one edge with a face to'engage said holding seat andhaving its opposite outwardly bent face edge adapted to contact with theinner face of said lip.

4:. A shade roller provided with a longitudinal groove having a holdingseat at one side and an opposite elongated lip, and a resilientretaining plate formed at one edge with a face to engage said holdingseat and at its opposite edge with an outwardly bent free edge adaptedto contact I opposite free edge disposed outwardly to engage the innerface of said lip and an intermediate face disposed to engage theprojected edge of said lip.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES E. MCDONALD.

